Sheet-loading device



R. A. KNIGHT.

SHEET LOADING DEVICE.

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R. A. KNIGHT.

SHEET LOADING DEVICE,

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 1920.

1,406,656, Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

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R. A. KNIGHT.

SHEET LOADING DEVICE.

APPLIcAnoN HLED ocT. 2a, 1920.

1 ,406,656, Patented Feb. 14, 1922'.

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RAYMOND A. KNIGHT, OF CANTON, OHIO.

SHEET-LOADING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Application filed October` 23, 1920. Serial No. 419,069.

To all whom t may concern:

Be `it known that I, RAYMOND A. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Sheetn Loading Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet loading devices and more particularly to an apparatus for handling metal sheets and the like for loading the same into freight cars or removing the sheets from the cars.

The objects of the invention are the pro vision of an apparatus which may be easily and readily applied to any ordinary freight car and which will enable the sheets to be handled more rapidly and with considerably less manual labor; to provide a device of this character which is quickly and readily adjustable in order that the sheets may be transferred to or from any part of the car,

and to generally improve and simplify any construction of apparatus of this character.

Further objects are the provision of an apparatus of this character comprising a curved track arranged to be adjustably supported at one end within a railway car, the other end protruding through the door of the car and being supported` upon an upright carried by a movable loadingv truck upon which the sheets may be deposited for loading or unloading the car; to provide a car adapted to be moved upon said trackA and to suspend a carrier from said car provided with means for quickly and easily engagingor disengaging with a pack of sheets or the like, means being provided for raising or lowering said carrier and for holding the same in the raised position during the act of transporting the sheets between the loadincr truck and railway car.

ith these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, -it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of construction may-be made within the scope of the appended clalmstwithout departing from the spirit or sacrliclng any of the advantages of the invention.

The invention thus set forth in general terms 1s illustrated in the accompanying drawlngs forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the loading apparatus embodying the invention applied to a railway freight car, the car beingshown 1n section;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the loading truck which supports the outer extremity of the track;

Fig. 3, a transverse section on 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. l1, a perspective view of the carrier and car by means of which the sheets are transferred to or from the railway car; and

Flg. 5, a detail perspective view of a portion of the. track.

A practical embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which the line similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

An ordinary freight car is indicated generally by the numeral 1, the 'improved' loading apparatus being shown applied thereto. In mounting the loading apparatus within the car, spaced pairs of uprights 2, preferably of wood, are temporarily attachedto the inner walls of the car, preferably in the positions shown in Fig. 1, one pair of said uprights being provided near the end of the car, a second pair intermediate the end of the car and the door, and a third pair at the c'oor.

A cross beam 3, provided with downwardly disposed angular legs 4, is mounted upon each pair of uprights, said cross beams being preferably formedA of tubular stock and provided at spaced intervals with the channel shaped members 5.

The track indicated generally at 6 is preferably curved' as best shown in Fig. 1, a

straight portion 7 extending longitudinally vcated at 9 which is carried upon the screw 10 mounted in the upright 11 which is located at the rear end ofthe loading truck 12.

The track comprises a pair of spaced bars or rails 13 connected at intervals by means of bolts 14, sections of tubing 15 being lo\ cated around the bolts to properly space the bars or rails 13. For the purpose of connecting the track 6 with the section of track 9 carried by the screw 10, barrel portions 16 and 17 are formed upon the abuttlng extremities of the rails of the track portions 8 and 9, a pin 18 being arranged to be passed through said barrel portions to connect the track sections together forming a continuous track from the loading truck to the 1nterior of the car.

The track 6 i's suspended within the 'railway car from the cross beams 3, by

m'eans of chains 19 which are connected. to certain of the tubular members 15 between the bars or rails 13,l the hooks 20 being provided upon the upper extremities of said chains for selective engagement with the channel members 5, which are provided upon the upper sides of the cross beams 3.

i The car 21, which is mounted for movement upon the track is provided with a plurality of wheels 22 arranged to engage each rail of the track, a yoke 23 being extended frorn said car and having journaled therein a. drum 24 arranged to be rotated by means of a crank 25 or the like. A ratchet 26 is mounted upon the drum 24 and arranged to be engaged by a pawl 27 carried by the yoke 23 for the purpose of holding the drum in any desired position.

The chain 28 is wound around the drum 24 and suspends therefromthe sheet carrier which includes the longitudinal bar 29 and the cross bars 30, a depending swiveled head 31 being carried at each extremity of each of the cross bars.

A vertically disposed rod 32 is swiveled in each head 31 and provided upon its lower extremity with the angularly disposed feet 33 formlng hooks for engagement with a pack of sheets. A handle 34 is provided upon each of the bars 32 by means of which the same may be rotated upon its axis to move the hooked ends into or out of engagement with the pack of sheets.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: In loading a car the uprights 2 are placed in position in the car as above described and the cross beams are mounted thereon. The track is then suspended from which point they are removed.

the cross beams by means of the hooked chains as above described, the track being placed in any desired position within the car to accommodate different widths of sheets and to lace the sheets in the proper place within t e car.

The sheets arev placed in packs upon the loading latform 12 and the car 2l which v moved upon the track to the desired position within the railway car when the carrier is again lowered and the hook members 32 are turned disengaging the pack from the carrier and depositing the same -upon the floor of the car. As one tier of sheets is piled to the desired height the track is moved to the next position, the hooks which carry the track engaging the desired channel members 5 upon the cross beams, when the operation of loading is again repeated.

The sheets may be unloaded in the same manner, the track being placed within the car to be unloaded as above described and the sheets picked up b the carrier and moved to a position w ere they may be deposited upon the loading truck from I claim 1. In combination with a freight car, an overhead track arranged to be suspended within the ca -r and provided with an angular portion extending through the car door, a loading truck, means upon said truck for supporting the outer extremity of said angular portion of the track, `and a carrier mounted upon said track and arranged to travel between said truck andthe inner end of the track.

2. In combination with a freight car, an overhead track arranged to be suspended within the car and provided with an angular portion extending through the car door, means for moving said track to different positions within the car, a loa-ding truck, means upon Said truck for supporting the outer extremity of said angular portion of the track, and a carrier mounted upon said track and arranged to travel between said truck and the inner extremity of the track.

3. In combination with `a freight car, an overhead track arranged to be suspended Within the car and provided with an angular portion extending through the car door, a loading truck, an upright mounted upon saidl truck, means for attaching the outer extremity of said angular portion of the track to said upright, and a carrier mounted upon said track and arranged to travel between said truck and the inner end of the track.

4. lin combination With a freight car, cross beams mounted within said car, an overhead track arranged to be Suspended from said cross beams, and provided with an angular portion extending through the car door, a; loadin truck, means upon said 10 truck for supportm the outer extremity o the angular portion of the track, and a carrier mounted upon said track andarranged to travel between said truck and the inner end of the track.

A In testimony that l claim the above, l have hereunto subscribed my name.

RAYMOND A. KNIGHT, 

